title: Young age is independent prognostic factor for cancer-specific survival of low-stage clear cell renal cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clarify the clinicopathologic features and prognosis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in young adults. The features of RCC in young adults have been reported, but the results have been conflicting.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data from 619 patients with RCC were analyzed. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to age at diagnosis, </=55 or >55 years of age. The clinicopathologic parameters were compared, and a survival analysis was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Younger patients were more likely to have a lower disease stage (P < .001), lower nuclear grade (P = .018), and smaller tumor size (P = .005) and a greater 5-year cancer-specific survival rate (P < .001) than older patients. Young age was a favorable prognostic factor for cancer-specific survival of clear cell RCC (P < .001). On multivariate analysis, young age was independently associated with a longer cancer-specific survival rate of clear cell RCC (P = .003). In addition, the prognostic implication of age differed between low (I or II) and high (III or IV) stage tumors. In low-stage clear cell RCC, young age was significantly associated with prolonged cancer-specific survival on univariate (P < .001) and multivariate (P = .007) analyses, but not in high-stage clear cell RCC (P = .906).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RCC in patients <55 years presented with a lower stage, lower nuclear grade, and smaller size than did the older patients. Young age was an independent prognostic factor for cancer-specific survival of low-stage clear cell RCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Medical Research Center, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Eun-Jung
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Hyun Ju
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Cheol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kwak
authors.forename: Ja Hyeon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ku
authors.forename: Kyung Chul
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Moon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D055815:Young Adult